Rotary washing and drying machine



July 28, 1942. I A. TRAUBE ET AL 2,291,511 I ROTARY WASHING AND DRYING MACHINE Filed Dec. 29, 1939 2 Sheets-She et 1 5o 5 02222 Q 0 G O G? 20 l9 2/ v INVENTORS Abraham Trauh and Jul-m W. Kifi'rgclgg July 28 1942.

A. TRAUBE. HAL 2,291,511 ROTARY WASHING AND DRYING MACHINE Filed Dad. 29, 1959 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 o ooop ooogaoooo oooO0 oooo I Rd% E I r 7 ATTORNEY Patented July 28, 1942 ROTARY WASHING AND DRYING MACHINE Abraham Traube, Brooklyn, and John W.

Kittredge, New York, N. Y.; said Kittredge assignor to said Traube Application December 29, 1939, Serial No. 311,526

18 Claims.

This invention relates to rotary machines for use in washing and drying clothes and other articles and for use in dry-cleaning and like operations; and the-invention relates more particularly to a machine of the type having a perforated, rotary drum with a hinged door for the introduction and removal of articles for drycleaning and adapted-to be rotated at high speed for the centrifugal discharge of moisture from said articles.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of rotary drum having hinged doors adapted to withstand centrifugal force at high speeds. Another object is to provide a door of channel beam construction and a further object is to provide an improved construction of shell or outer casing.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, 11-

lustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the constructional details may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a central, horizontal section through a part of a dry-cleaning machine, showing one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section ofthe rotary drum;

Fig. 3 is a front view, showing a modifled form of the drum; and,

Figs. 4 to '7 inclusive are detail views, Fig. 4 being an enlarged front view of one of the doors for the rotary drum, Fig. 5 being a central lontherein; and in order to withstand centrifuga force at high speeds the container and its doors are specially designed to give the maximum strength with minimum weight. In machines of this type as heretofore employed, the doors of v the containers have been of substantial mass the articles contained therein, and an important and heavy weight in order to give the necessary strength, but it has not heretofore been possible to rotate such containers at speeds sufliciently high for the effective discharge of moisture from feature of our present invention is the design of the container and doors of minimum weight and maximum strength to, permit the high speeds necessary for effective centrifugal drying.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the machine ha an outer shell or casing In of cylindrical form with an end flange II welded thereto and an end plate l2 bolted to said flange. The end plate at the end of the shell not shown on the drawing may be similarly connected, or may be welded directly to the cylindrical wall.

,The rotary drum in the form shown at Fig. 1 comprises end plates [3, a central partition plate l4, intermediate partition plates l5, and a cylindrical wall l6, so that the drum comprises four separate compartments 51!, 5|, 52, 53, for-the reception of the articles to be dry-cleaned.

gitudinal section, and Fig. 6 being a central crossv section of the door, while Fig. 7 shows the door handle in front view.

The dry-cleaning machine shown by way of example on the accompanying drawings has a rotary container for the articles to be drycleaned, and such container is adapted to rotate about a horizontal axis in an outer-shell or casing preferably under vacuum, so that the fumes from the cleaning fluid are drawn oil in the known manner. be turned slowly in one direction or caused to rock, or turn slowly first in one direction and then in the other during the cleaning or washing operation, after which the cleaning fluid may be drained off and the container may be. rotated at a high speed in order to centrifugally discharge moisture from the articles contained The rotary container may Metallic reinforcing rings l1 extend around the cylindrical wall lli'and are welded thereto and to the end plates l3, while similar rings l8 also extend around the cylindrical wall and are welded thereto and to the partition plate It. The.

wall I 6 is perforated throughout as, at l9 and the partition walls l4, l5, and the end plates l3 may be similarly perforated to allow free access of the cleaning fluid to the articles being treated.

Each of the two similar end plates I3 of the rotary drum carries a trunnion 20 supported in suitable bearings'2l in the end plates l2 of the outer shell or casing, and the rotary drum may be conveniently removed, in an axial direction, from the outer shell or casing after the removal. of one of the end plates l2, when such removal becomes necessary for repair, replacement, or cleaning.

In the front of the outer shell or casing l0 suitable openings are provided with doors 22 curved to suit the curvature of the cylindrical wall of the shell and having hinges 23 and handles'24. These doors 22 arearranged side by side in the form shown at Fig. 1 with the lefthand door closed and with the right-hand door swung to its fully opened position in front of the .closed door. Suitable latching means may beprovided for the doors 22, but such means need not be provided when the operations are carried out with the shell under vacuum.

The rotary drum is also provided with hinged doors that may be brought into alignment with the door openings in the outer shell or casing in such manner that the doors of the drum may be swung outwardly through the door openings in the casing to permit convenient introduction and removal of the articles for dry-cleaning. .In the arrangement of Fig. 1 access to the two drum compartments 50, 5| to the left of the central partition [4 is given through a {door-Way closed by two door 25 arranged one above the other, while access to the two compartments 52, 53, to the right-hand side of the said partition I4 is given through an opening closed by similar doors 26, and the construction and arrangement of these doors 25, 26 are similar to those of the doors hereinafter described, with reference to Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

The drum or container shown at Fig. 2 is similar to that shown at Fig. 1, except that longitudinal internal ribs' 54 are shown at Fig. 2.

These ribs consist of angular strips having their edges welded or otherwise suitably secured to the interior of the cylindrical wall E6 of the drum. The ribs 54 serve to strengthen the drum and to turn over or agitate the articles under treatment as the drum rotates slowly during the cleaning operation. Gaps may be provided in the partition plates I4, I5 for the accommodation of the ribs 54 or each rib may be made in short lengths with its ends abutting the faces of the said partition plates and of the end plates l3.

Referring to Figs. 3 to 7 of the drawings, the drum 21in this case is similar to that shown at Fig. 1 except that it is provided with only one pair of doors centrally arranged between endless bands 28, 29 surrounding the cylindrical container wall 39 which is perforated throughout as shown at 3|. The door opening 32 in the drum 21 extends between the endless bands 28, 29 and accommodates the two doors 33, 34 one above the other with the hinge of the upper door 33 carried by the ring 29 and the hinge of the lower door 34 carried by the ring 28.

Each of the doors as, 34 is f light weight but is so constructed that it is capable of withstanding centrifugal force at high speeds, and the arfrom the spirit of the invention rangement is such that the load is carried by the rings 28, 29, which extend completely around the drum and have sufficient strength to resist the outward pull of the doors due to centrifugal force at very high rotary speeds when the drum is being rotated for the discharge of moisure from the articles contained therein.

The construction of the doors 33, 34 is shown at Figs. 4, 5, and 6, and each door is made from a metal sheet or plate 35 bent to channel form as shown at Fig. 6 with its flanges 36. arched from end to end as'shown at Fig. 5, and with the web 35 of the channel arched in a transverse direction 'as shown at Fig. 6. Within the channel 'beal'n thus formed end partitions 31 and '38 are welded and a third partition 39 is also provided for the purpose hereinafter V nel member by .welding and hinge brackets 43 are mounted on the rings 28, 29 in order to redescribed. Q'I'he .channel beam is further reinforced by arched ceive hinge pins passed through said brackets 42,

43 in such manner that when the door is closed the end of the channel member passes behind two parallel bolts 45 connected by a bridge or handle 46. These bolts and handle are not shown at Figs. 4 or 6, but-are illustrated at Fig. 7, and

are shown in their assembled position at Figs. 3 and 5. Springs 41 on the bolts 45 are held in compression between the partition 39 and pins 48 in such bolts, so that the bolt ends normally extend outwardly beyond the end of the door. The

end partition38 is provided with a projecting lip 49 curved to suit the curvature of the drum, and

when the door is closed the lip 49 engages the outer surface ofthe ring 28', or 29 and the ends of the bolts 45 are received by sockets carried on the inner circumference of the adjacent ring 28 or 29 so that the radially outward pull of the door under centrifugal force is resisted by the said ring. The bolt-receiving sockets are not shown at Fig. 3, but Fig. 2 shows similar sockets 55 ,carried by the rings I 1 and I8 for the same purpose.

Although the drawings and the above specification disclose the best mode in which we have contemplated embodying our invention, we desire to be in no way limited tothe details of such disclosure, for in the further practical application of our invention many changes in the constructional details may be made as circumstances require or experience suggests without departing within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:-

1. A machine of the character described comprising an outer shell, a rotary container for articles being treated, means for supporting the container in the walls of the outershell, a door in the shell, a container door having dimensions substantially greater in an axial direction than in a circumferential direction, side flanges of arch formation forming parts of the container door to give maximum strength at the center of its length, a web portion connecting said flanges,

and forming the main portion of said door, and endless bands encirclingthe container and retaining the ends of its door against outward thrust due to centrifugal force.

2. A machine of the character described com-- prising an outer shell, a rotary cylindrical container for articles being treated, means for supporting the container horizontally between the walls of-the shell, a door in the shell, a pair of side flanges extending outwardly from a connecting web and forming a door for the container, the

circumferential dimensions of the latter door being less" than one-half of its axial dimensions,

endless bands encircling the container and retaining the ends of its door against outward thrust due to centrifugal force, and hinge means whereby the ly about a vertical axis.

3. A rotary drum for a machine of the char-- 4. A'rotary drum for a machine of the charcontainer door may swing outwardacter described comprising a cylindrical wall, end walls and endless encircling rings, a door opening in the cylindrical wall to give free access to the drum interior, a pair of doors having relatively small dimensions in a circumferential direction and greater dimensions in an axial direction, hinge and latch means connecting the individual doors to the door opening with two opposed edges of said opening each providing a hinge for one of the doors and latch means for the other. door, and said doors abutting each other along a line parallel to the axis of the drum, and means whereby the said rings retain the door ends and resist the outward thrust of the doors under centrifugal force.

5. A rotary drum for a machine of the character described comprising end plates, a cylindrical perforated sheet metal wall extending between said plates, reinforcing rings encircling the cylindrical wall, a dooropening extending between said rings, a pair of doors of channel beam construction arranged side by side and serving to close said opening and with their side flanges parallel to the axis of the drum, and means whereby each door is carried by said reinforcing rings and prevented from moving outwards under centrifugal force while said side flanges each extend from one to the other of said reinforcing rings so that the doors have the strength necessary to resist centrifugal force.

6. A rotary drum for a machine of the character described comprising end plates, trunnions on said plates, a cylindrical perforated sheet metal wall extending between said plates, reinforcing rings encircling the cylindrical wall, a door opening extending between said rings, a pair of doors of channel beam construction arranged side by side with the side flanges of the beams extending parallel to the axis of the drum and serving to close said opening, and means whereby each door is carried by said reinforcing rings and prevented from moving outwards under centrifugal force while said side flanges each extend from one tothe other of said reinforcing rings so that thedoors have the strength necessary to-resist centrifugal force, such means including hinges whereby the doors swing outwardly towards opposite ends of the drum.

7. A door for the rotary container; of a machine of the character described comprising a channel beam member of substantial dimensions in an axial direction and of relatively small' dimesions in a] circumferential direction, the beam being arranged with its hollow side outwards, arched reinforcing members extending longitudinally of the beam, hinging means at one 1 end of the beam, and a movable retaining member at the opposite end of the beam, in combination with strengthening bands encircling the container and serving to receive the hinged end of the beam and the said retaining member to resist outward movement of the beam under centrifugal force while said arched members extend from oneto the other of said strengthening bands so that the doors have the strength .necessary to resist centrifugal force. 8. A doorfor the rotary containerof a machine of the character described comprising a channel beam member of substantial length andrelatively small width arranged with its hollow side facing outwardly, arched reinforcing members extending longitudinally of the beam, hinging means at one end of the beam, and a latchingmember at the opposite end of the beam, in

combination with spaced strengthening bands encircling the container and serving to receive the hinged end of the beam and the said latching member to resist outward movement of the beam under centrifugal force, the space between said bands being spanned by the channel beam which extends longitundinally therebetween whereby a door of minimum weight gives the necessary resistance to centrifugal force.

9. In a machine of the character described, a container, a door opening therein,'a door comprising a plate having outwardly arched side flanges and a web inwardly arched in a crosswise direction, such web serving as a closure for said opening in the container, reinforcing partition walls extending transversely between the flanges, and longitudinal reinforcing strips welded to the outer curved edges of the flanges.

10. In a machine of the character described,

a container, a door opening therein, a door comprising a plate having side flanges arched .out-

wardly and longitudinally, a connecting web arched inwardly in a cross-wise direction, such opening and is curved inwardly in a cross-wise direction, the flanges extending outwardly from the web. I

12. In a machine of the character described, a rotary container having a door opening and a door of channel beam construction comprising a plate bent to form side flanges with outer edges curved in a longitudinal direction, a connecting web which serves as the closure for said opening and is curved inwardly in a cross-wise direction, the side flanges diverging from said web, and reinforcing means on said beam.

13. A machine of the character described comprising an outer shell of sheet metal construction, a removable end wall on the shell, an inner sheet metal container, trunnions for supporting the container in the shell, sheet metal doors in the container being of channel form with their flanges arched longitudinally and the shell, the door in the container having dimensions substantially greater in an axial direction than in a circumferential direction, and strengthening bands encircling the container, said arched flanges extending from one to another of said bands so as to resist outward movement of the container door under centrifugal force.

i A machine of the character described comprising an ,outer shell, a removable end wall on the shell, an inner sheet-metal container, trunnions for supporting the container in the shell, a pair of sheet metal .doors in the container, said doors having dimensions substantially greater in an axial direction than in a circumferential direction and being in proximity to each other on a I metal rotary drum within the shell, a removable end wall on the cylindrical shell to permit introduction and removal of the drum, door openings in the curved walls of the shell and drum, and curved sheet metal doors serving as closures for said openings in the shell and drum, the latter door being of channel form with its open side facing outwardly and being curved inwardly to resist centrifugal force and the door in the shell the cylinsaid openings, the drum doors being of channel form curved inwardly to resist centrifugal force and with their flanges extending outwardly from theirwebs and the door in the shell being curved outwardly to conform to the cylindrical forma-' tion of the shell, and hinges whereby the doors of the drum may-swing outwardly through the door opening in the shell when the shell door is open.

17. A sheet metal drum for a machine of the character described comprising a cylindrical wall, a door opening in such wall, flanges formed in said wall and bent inwardly to form said opening,

sheet metal strips of angular cross-section secured to the inner surface of the cylindrical wall to form longitudinal internal ribs, a pair of sheet metal channel beams arranged side by sideand forming a closure for said door opening, said beams being in proximity to each other along a line extending parallel to the axis of the drum and latching members for each channel beam, the

latching membebs for each channel beam, the

hinges of the beams being so disposed as to permit the two beams to swing outwardly from the said opening in directions opposite to each other.

18. A sheet metal drum for a machine of the character described comprising a cylindrical wall, a door opening in such wall, sheet metal strips of angular cross-section secured to the inner surface of the cylindrical wall to form internal ribs, 8. pair of sheet metal channel beams arranged side by side and forming a closure for said door opening, arch-shaped reinforcing means on said beams, strengthening partition walls in said beams, and reinforcing rings encircling the drum in close proximity to the end extremities 'of said door opening and serving to retain the ends of said beams against centrifugal force ABRAHAM TRAIJBE. JOHN w. KI'IIREDGE. 

